Treatment of coffee



sTAraS P E T Sidney Musher, New York, N. Y., assignorz'to' Musher Foundation Incorporated, New .York, r J

N. Y., a corporation of New. York No Drawing.

Application October 28, 1939, I Serial No. 301,757

4 Claims. (01. 991 52) I 1 i a the loss of their freshly roasted flavors and aromas.

In my prior application, Serial No. 261,667, filed March 13, 1939, I have disclosed-methods for producing cereal extracts, containing water soluble carbohydrates and organic nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, which may be added ,to

food compositions or other similar organic materials subiect'to oxidative deterioration to help protect them against such oxidation."

- According to this application, Serial No. 261,667,

water soluble extracts are prepared desirably from the finely divided, unbleached, dry milledcereals and cereal'products. For example, cereal germs such as wheat germ, corn germ,rice germ and cat germ which may contain some of the bran and which may be desirably de-oiled to less than 10% glyceride oil, and/or the meal portions of cereals such as oats, yellow or white maize or hominy, barley and less preferably wheat, rye, rice, and buckwheat, with or without dehulling v or deborticating, may be mixed with water'or 5 alcohol or mixtures of water and alcohols at a temperature of about between 125 F. and 145 F. and at a pH between about 5.0 and 7.0 and desirably at a pH of 6.0 for 1 to 5 hours to remove the water or alcohol soluble materials from the 40 cereals without substantial gelatinization,.dex-

trinizing, solubilizing or conversion of the starch and proteins present in the cereals.

The water soluble cereal antioxygenic mixture,

which is substantially free of oil, starch andfibre,

is obtained in clarified dilute aqueous solution after filtration, centrifuging or settling out of the water insoluble cereal residues, and may be concentrated desirably in a stainless steel vac ture in excess of 250 F. and desirably between 400- F. and 450 F. and following the roasting operation in order for the extract tobecome 5111'- ficiently efiective in stabilizing the'ooflee against. oxidative deterioration and the extract; should be added in combination with such an amount or 5 water as to drop the temperature to about 200 F. or below and stop further roasting. I

For example, the cofiee beans may be first roasted by being subjected to direct flame treatment and, as soon as the'roasting operation has 10 been completed and the beans are ofthe desired roasted color; aroma and flavonthe extract in aqueous form is applied to the hot roastedcoflee beans by being sprayed on those beans in the roasting chamber and while the beans are at the 15 highest temperature of roasting.

'There is applied to the beans desirably between 0.05% and 3% of the extract on its solids weightbasis against the weight of the cofiee and preferably between 0.5% and.1% of the extract. 20

-Where, for example, 40 pounds of water are "applied to500 pounds of coffee beans, there may be added to the 40 pounds of water befo re being sprayed on the beans in the roasting chamber 25 3 pounds ofthe 70% total solidsslightly acidified concentrated water extract of finely divided dry milled wheatgerm, the extract. having first been added tothe 40pounds of water and 43 pounds of the combination of the water and wheat 30 germ extract being applied to the 500 pounds of roasted cofiee beans'in-the cylinder immediately .as the flame is extinguished and while the beans are at the elevated temperature of roasting, substantially above"250 "-"F. i At theitime of application 01' the water containing the extract to the roasted beans and while they are at the elevated temperature, it is estimated-that about to -or possibly more I of the waterwhich is applied to the roasted beans "0 in this manner is immediately converted to steam and only a small proportion remains in the coflee 1 Where the ,unconcentrated water extract is ap= plied, ,th'e'am'ount oftotal solids in the-uncon 45 centratedwater. extract may be determined and there may be utilized the unconce'ntratedwater extract to the sa'meext'ent, that is, to-the extent oi? approximately. 0L05% to 3% 0f the solids of the extract against the total-weight of the coflee. 5c

The cofiee beans obtained in this manner show a slightly increased gloss 'at' vthesurface but otherwise are not materiallydifl'erent ina'ppearance; The coiIee may "then be ground or otherwise processed a's-j'inthef manufacture of the u coffee shows no differences in appearance-after this'treatment- When coflee is treated in this manner, the development of staleness in the coffee is markedly retarded and the fresh flavor and aroma characteristics of the coffee are retained to a definite degree.

Coflee after roasting normally develops staleness within about 10 to 20 days, particularly after storage at room temperature in ground form. L In accordance with this invention, however, and where the concentrated water extracts of the cereals are applied in aqueous form to the cofiee beans while they are at an elevated temperature, it has been observed that the development of staleness in the coiIee is extended for frequently to 2 to 3 times as long as where the extract is not applied to the coffee.

Apparently these extracts are most eflicacious in stabilizing the roasted coffee when applied in water to the heated beans or as a means of rapidly lowering the temperature of the coifee since if the extract be added to the cold roasted'cofiee after the coffee has been allowed to cool, much less stabilizing effect is observed. Most desirably, the extract is added therefore while the temperature of the roasted coffee is about 300 F. to 400 F. and unless the extract is added to the coffee beans while they are at the elevated'temperature' suflicient to produce the enhanced antioxygenic activity, the full results of the present invention are not obtained.

As another example, in the treatment of 500 pounds of coffee beans with approximately 40 pounds of water and 2 pounds of the concentrated ethyl alcoholic extract of pulverized whole oats, the extract may first be applied to the roasted coffee just as soon as the roasting operation has been completed and while the coffee beans are still at the temperature of between 300 F. and 400 F. and immediately thereafter the 40 pounds of water may be applied, or, where desired, 15 pounds of the 40 pounds of water may be applied to the coffee in order to avoid any sudden combustion of the cofiee or any burning I from taking place but without reducing the temperature of the coffee to less than about 250 F. and the 2 /2 pounds of the ethyl alcoholic extract may then be applied followed by the application of the balance of the 25 pounds of Water.

Less desirably, the germinated or sprouted cereals may be employed for extraction, such as 2,198,208 'various grades of ground roasted coflee and the where, for example, sprouted barley is employed for water extraction and for utilization in accordance with this invention.

Less desirably' mi? be tilized the slight l ly acidified water or alcohol soluble extracts of the de-oiled, dry milled seeds and nuts suchv as of de-oiled soya flour, peanut flour, cottonseed flour, sesame seed flour, etc;

These extracts of the de-oiled seed and nut flours also contain water soluble carbohydrates and water soluble organic nitrogen and phospho rus compounds and are effectiveas stabilizers when applied to coffee at the high temperature of roasting and particularly when the extracts-are obtained under the temperature and pH conditions referred to above.

It is possible to obtain dispersion of the ex tracts in the water with or without emulsifiers such as gums, gelatin, agar-agar, pectin and so forth for application to the heated coffee beans.

Having described my invention, what I claim is: 1. A method of improving the quality of roasted coffee which comprises applying to the roasted coffee immediately following roasting and while the coffee beans are at a temperature in excess of 250 F. a small amount of a water soluble extract of a cereal in aqueous dispersion.

2. The method of improving the quality of.

roasted coifee which comprises applying to the roasted coffee immediately following roasting and while the coffee beans are at a temperature in excess of 250 F. a small amount of an extract of a material selected from the group consisting of the dry milled unbleached cereals, cereal germs,

and the de-oiled seeds and nuts, said extract be-' ing selected from the group consisting of the slightly acidified water and alcohol soluble extracts and said extract being applied to the coffee in aqueous dispersion. I

3. A method of improving the quality of roasted coiiee which comprises applying to the roasted coffee immediately following the roasting and while the coffee beans are at a temperature in excess of 250 F. a small amount of a water soluble extract of a cereal germ in aqueous dispersion.

4. A method of improving the quality of roasted cofiee which comprises applying to the roasted coffee immediately following roasting and while the coffee beans are at a temperature in excess of 250 F. a small amount of a water soluble extract of maize in aqueous dispersion.

SIDNEY MUSHER. 

